


All Over Again

by CloakedSparrow



Category: Die Hard (Movies), Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Opening - A Good Day To Die hard, Being That Guy, Canon Divergence - A Good Day To Die Hard, Explicit Language, M/M, No Sex, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 08:16:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5861161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloakedSparrow/pseuds/CloakedSparrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the years following the Fire Sale, life is good for John McClane...until Lucy makes a comment regarding Jack and John knows he’ll have to be ‘that guy’ all over again. </p><p>(Alternate opening to A Good Day to Die Hard, but it should read well for those who haven’t seen it.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Over Again

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the quote/prompt: "Have fun storming the castle!" (Miracle Max, The Princess Bride)
> 
> Also, I have never written a Die Hard fic before and I’m afraid I couldn’t get the character’s voices well, but you have to start somewhere, right?

In the past, being ‘that guy’ had meant that John McClane spent a lot of time arguing with his estranged wife, struggling to spend ‘quality time’ with his kids, having a hard time sleeping, and wondering how the hell everything turned out so wrong. It had meant a long divorce, a silent house, lonely meals, unanswered calls to his kids, and an empty bed. It meant working a desk while he healed up and enduring grueling hours of rehabilitation, followed by long hours at the precinct. He'd expected the fire sale to bring more of the same. 

He had been wrong. 

The kid saved John’s ass (as well as the whole country’s) and -more importantly in John's book- saved his daughter’s life. Matt wasn’t another cop like Al, nor had he been threatened and entrapped like Zeus; the kid had simply stuck by John because _he got it_. For all his complaining, his mistrust in authority, and his asthma, Matt was just like John at heart. They didn’t want to be heroes; didn’t want to be the last line of defense; didn’t want the supposed glory and fame that came with it. They just found themselves in a lose-lose situation and did what they had to in order to turn it around.

In the hospital, afterwards, John learned that Matt had no family and no remaining friends, outside of the guy who lived in his mother's basement. The insurance companies were overwhelmed and struggling to get back on track (or were taking advantage of the situation to avoid payment for as long as possible). Bowman cleared Matt as a suspect after finding proof that the kid had no idea that he'd been hired by a false company, let alone what they planned to do with his work. But the ‘higher ups’ claimed that giving the kid any kind of reward beyond a pat on the back would send the wrong idea. The kid had nowhere to go and no one he could count on or turn to for help.

No one but John.

It turned out, physical therapy and a lot of down time weren’t bad at all when you had someone to share it with. Mutual understanding, mutual bitching, and mutual laughter turned into home-cooked meals and small home improvement projects as they healed. 

John healed as good as new, which was starting to surprise him after all these years. Matt would always limp, but his knee only hurt him when he strained it or the weather was bad. The empty room in John’s house was filled with computers, dolls (no matter what Matt called them), bad music and bright laughter. John shared his meals, his bed, his thoughts, and his life. He worked less hours and took fewer risks. 

Lucy called at least twice a week, met John for lunch every week or two, and chatted online with Matt regularly. She started calling John ‘dad’ more often and even called him ‘daddy’ sometimes. 

Once it became clear that John was going to be a solid fixture in Lucy’s life again, Holly started calling him every few months to exchange notes. After years of arguing, he was surprised how nice it was to just talk to her again. Holly even encouraged his relationship with Matt and the new working (and living) habits that came with it. 

For another five years, life was good for John McClane.

Then, one of Lucy’s calls raised the hairs on the back of John’s neck. “I haven’t heard from Jack in a while. Not like that’s so unusual, I know, but its different this time. He’s been weird. Mom’s really worried.”

She jumped to another subject as soon as John started asking questions, but all the talk about her ongoing work dramas and new guy couldn’t distract him. Lucy had sounded worried and it took a lot to worry John’s daughter. 

John called Holly and a few buddies from different veins of law enforcement. No one could tell him where Jack was or what he was up to. Holly thought it was drugs. John suspected it was bigger, but he couldn’t find anything. 

The offer came during a quiet dinner at home. 

“Do you want me to look?” With eyes full of understanding and support, Matt tilted his head toward his home office and John knew exactly what he meant. 

Matt had been strictly white hat longer than John had known him, but John knew what the kid could do. He nodded once before grabbing Matt’s hand. “Don’t dig too deep. Nothing that’ll land you in trouble, okay? I just want to know enough to guess where he is.”

John got a promise in the form of a kiss and a grin before Matt headed into his office. John fell asleep that night and woke up the next morning to the sound of slender fingers working over a keyboard. He put a plate of Pop Tarts and a cup of coffee on Matt’s desk before he kissed him goodbye and headed to work. 

A few hours later, John got a text from Matt. 

_Found him. Come home._

John called out something about a family emergency on his way out of the precinct and made it home in record time. Matt opened the door for him and started talking the second John walked through it. He handed John some print outs that contained his son’s photo and a lot of blocked-out text, plus some gibberish that turned out to be Russian. John flipped through them as Matt filled him in rapid-fire about blocked intel, false documents, CIA involvement, the Russian mafia and what amounted to a plea-bargain involving a case against some guy with ties to Chernobyl.

“Russia, what the fuck? Wait.” John’s eyes snapped onto Matt’s and the kid’s speech stammered to a halt. “Did you say CIA? _Fuck_. You didn’t hack the CIA, did you?”

“No, but if you want the full story, I’m gonna have to. Whatever Jack-”

“Matty, _no_.” John cut in before Matt could get on a roll. “I can get the full story from Jack when I drag his ass back home. I didn’t even catch all of what you just said now, but-”

Matt placed his hands on John‘s chest and flicked his bangs out of his eyes to meet John’s gaze. “Did you hear the part where Jack’s in prison _in Russia_? Because I hate to say it, but I doubt even you can just charge in and-”

“ _Prison_?” John grabbed Matt‘s arms, more for his own comfort than to get the kid’s attention. He didn‘t even notice the papers hitting the floor. “Jesus Christ! What- What is he lookin’ at?” 

“John.” Matt fisted John’s shirt and his voice wavered briefly. “I’m sorry...” The mix of fear, helplessness and sympathy in Matt’s eyes hurt John as much as the words he spoke as gently as he could. “But with all Jack’s being charged with, he’ll be lucky to get life.”

John just held onto Matt for several countless minutes while he let that sink in. His son’s life was likely over...and John couldn’t even say what he’d done with the last decade of it. He needed to find out what sort of man Jack had become and -criminal or not- he needed to see if there was any way he could help his son.

He voice was gravely and muffled by Matt’s hair. “I need to go to Russia.”

Matt sighed heavily. “I know.” He allowed John to pull away as he added, “I already booked a flight and hotel online and packed our bags.”

“ _Our_ bags.” John looked Matt over. The kid was still scrawny, still pale, still too smart and loyal for his own good. One would think a shattered knee cap would have wizened him up. “I can’t drag you into one, baby. This is-”

“Probably going to be the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do,” Matt interrupted firmly. “You might not be able to ‘Yippie-kay-yay’ your way through this one, John. It’s not up for debate. I’m going with you.”

John fleetingly wondered how he ever got lucky enough to earn the love and loyalty of this much younger man. A man that was only a couple years older than Jack, who likely had no idea about the specifics of their relationship. “I appreciate that, kid. Really, I do...but, Jack’s going to have enough going on without finding out about us this way.”

John couldn’t even bring himself to point out that it might be the last time his son ever saw him. 

Matt was ready with a simple answer that John had no argument for. “Then I’ll stay at the hotel. If things turn out alright, you can just call and tell me and I’ll order some room service and chat with Warlock. If things go bad...you’ll have someone there.”

John couldn’t bring himself to smile. Not yet. Not with what was likely to greet him in Russia. However, he felt something tight in his chest give a little. “That’s what makes you ‘that guy’.”

Matt offered John a hint of smile, which was probably all he could muster at the moment. It was enough for John. “Speaking of that... I packed some extra gear in your bag. It won’t look suspicious at all to airport security, but then, they have no idea what guys like us can do with a couple laptops and a car.”

“You promised not to do anything that would land you in trouble,” John reminded.

“To find Jack.” Matt nodded his agreement before looking at John intently. “For _you_ , I stop at nothing. Remember that before you try anything crazy, like a jailbreak.”

Now John was able to offer a tiny smirk of his own. He brushed Matt‘s hair out of his face. “Give me some credit, kid. Even I’m not that stupid.”

Matt scoffed and leaned into John. “Yeah. Have fun storming the castle...just leave your cell on and keep it on you. I’ve got the GPS all set up.”

John sighed and couldn’t find the words to express all the gratitude, love, fear, regret, hope, and content he felt. He settled for dipping his head to capture Matt’s mouth in a kiss. It seemed to get his point across. 

Maybe being ‘that guy’ wasn’t so bad either once you had someone to share it with.


End file.
